More than 100 - mainly Greek- bloggers take part in a voting for their favourite films of the decade (organised by seagazing). Today's post is my top-20 list, the first of a series of posts about the first decade of the 21st century and, also, for the year 2009.

Some dreams can't be shared. A gripping, honest and powerful drama! Great debut by the Ukrainian director!IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

19. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ...and Spring - Ki-duk Kim (2003)

This is more than a simple movie. A poetic piece of art by the amazing Korean minimalist. 3 Iron (2004) could easily be in this list!IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

18. Persepolis - Vincent Paronnaud/Marjane Satrapi (2007)

I agree that Pixar makes very nice animations. However, the best, most thought-provoking animations of the zeros were Persepolis and Waltz with Bashir (2008). Persepolis is a brilliant animated movie based on the Marjane Strapi's black and white comic.IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

Ken Loach is the most honest director around. I love his films. This one shows how a political movie should be made. A must-see for people in my country, Cyprus (Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots).IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

A raw, provocative drama about star-crossed love and the lives of immigrants caught between the traditional and modern. Fatih Akin is one of the most talented directors!A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

Nobody is beyond redemption! Using Guillermo Arriaga's brilliant script, Tommy Lee Jones directed his first film, the best modern-day western of the decade. A tale of friendship, justice and redemption!A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

7. Gran Torino - Clint Eastwood (2008)

A masterful piece of storytelling and a film which will rightly be regarded as a classic. Eastwood is on staggering form as an actor and equally inspiring as a director. Mystic River (2003) and A Million Dollar Baby (2004) could easily be in this list!IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

6. Vozvrashcheniye (The Return) - Andrei Zvyagintsev (2003)

One of the greatest surprises of the decade. A brilliant debut: breathtaking, emotional and disturbing. A quiet and disquieting masterpiece which gets under your skin and stays there long after you watch it!A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

One of the most layered, atmospheric and textured movies of the decade. A dark poem! Beautiful to gaze at, achingly romantic, emotionally involving, unexpectedly terrifying.A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

4. Amores Perros - Alejandro González Iñárritu (2000)

Alejandro González Iñárritu's debut was the first part of the best trilogy of the zeros (together with the great 21 Grams and Babel). A film that shows a deep understanding of people, stunningly made, raw and authentic!IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

"Pan's Labyrinth is Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups", the greatest dark fairy tale I've seen in my life! A pure masterpiece!IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

2. Requiem for a Dream - Darren Aronofsky (2000)

If you can't move your legs after the end of a film, that means you liked it! A shocking and one the most powerful films I have ever seen. Clint Mansell's score and Darren Aronofsky's brilliant direction haunted me for years! It could as well be at number one with Aronofsky's The Fountain (2006) and The Wrestler (2008) also capable to make this list!IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

1. Oldboy - Chan-wook Park (2003)

"Be it a rock or a grain of sand, in water they sink as the same". This phrase was at the title of this blog for a while. Together with no.2, the best films of the decade and, definitely, in my top movies of all time! A dark and thrillingly horrible tale of revenge; a flawless movie with amazing direction, acting and music!A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

Adolf Plays the Jazz is a Greek post rock band formed in Athens in the year of 2002. They started creating music for soundtracks of films their friends made. All their music can be downloaded for free from their homepage. Their music combines the art-rock of the 70's (head music) with todays post rock feeling (heart music) through a punk lo-fi - attitude. The terms post-rock and shoegaze might be the most appropriate to describe their music, but Adolf plays the jazz are influenced by everything they listen to, read or see… "Dirty Waters" is their most recent album, released a few days ago and, of course, is available for free download. Great album!

Drawing from his palette of all things psychedelic, prog-rock, folk and traditional-song related, mixed with modern techniques of sampling and sequencing, 2econd Class Citizen aka Aaron Thomason creates music which transcends a multitude of genres to distil a wholly immersive experience. The young man from London, England, makes music that he simply calls “Wyred Folk”: a hybrid of electronically produced folk combined with instrumental Hip Hop. Swinging between melancholy and pure anger, strong guitar riffs mined from old psych rock records and the weeping voices lifted from old folk music, he seems to find his real home in a crate of old and dusty vinyl. his is his full-length debut! Awesome!

Tracks:
1. Step Inside
2. One By One (feat. Ceschi)
3. A New Day
4. Wait For Me
5. On Emptyness
6. Our Lady Of Solitude (feat. Reindeer)
7. The Day You're Lost Or Found
8. Listen The Night (feat. Reindeer)
9. From Where I Belong
10. A World Without

pg.lost is a four-piece post-rock band from Norrköping, Sweden, formed in 2004. They have released three studio records - a debut EP Yes I Am EP in 2007, and their first full-length record called "It’s Not Me, It’s You!" in 2008. "In never out" is their second full-length album and will be released 11th December 2009. Amazing album, post-rock music at its best; a must-have for those who like Explosions in the Sky, Mono etc. Highly recommended!

Side Liner began as a project in 2004 by Nick Miamis in Athens, Greece, to explore the emotional side of music and give shape to the events of the day. His music is best noted for the continuous flow of thought it creates, often visually stimulating and evocative of a particular mood — without the jarring interruptions of so much of today’s electronic and chillout music. Crying Cities was released in January 2009. Excellent electronic/chillout/ambient music. Recommended!

The Ansion is the latest musical project from Scottish guitarist Jon Innes. His music blends programmed beats and live instrumentation to create a fresh organic feel. This is The Ansion's debut album, released in 2007, in which elements of danceable percussion and contemplative moments are mixed with complex instrumentation to create a body of work that will appeal to many musical tastes. Excellent electronica! Recommended!

Artist: The Ansion
Album: That Is The Way Of Things
Year: 2007
Genre: electronica, ambient

Tracks:
1. Introduction Part B
2. Alex Lovell Is My Terminator
3. The Way You Always Fall Asleep Before I Do
4. Die, You Big Fuck Off Spider, Die
5. Her Resistance to the Mind Probe Is Considerable
6. I’m Afraid Of You, What Are You Afraid Of?
7. Three-two-seven
8. Frogs and Rabbits
9. You Are Nothing More Than a Chemical Reaction Inside My Head
10. 10/07/2005

eaststrikewest are a 6-piece band from Essex, UK. This is their debut album, released last month. A record that is a remarkable 35 minutes of progressive and stunning combination of indie, post-rock and shoegaze. Epic and cinematic in feel, w o l v v e s rewards the listener with its expansive soundscapes and ethereal melodies. Highly recommended!

The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble (TKDE) formed in 2000 as a project to compose new music for existing silent movies. Jason Köhnen and Gideon Kiers, both graduates of the Utrecht School of Arts. In 2004, British trombonist Hilary Jeffery and Swiss cellist Nina Hitz joined TKDE to record the amazing self-titled debut album which was released on Planet Mu Records in May 2006. The ensuing tour saw Eelco Bosman and Paris based vocalist Charlotte Cegarra join, forming the Ensemble into a sextet. London based violinist Sadie Anderson joined in 2008 to supply the group with extra power on stage. Their music cannot really be placed in one genre. They combine traditional instruments with some electronics and improvisation; the result is a fusion of jazz, dark-jazz, classical and experimental music. This is their most recent album. Awesome!

An interesting project of two young and gifted musicians: piano player Zsolt Kaltenecker and turntablist Andrew J - both from Budapest, Hungary. Their music combines elements from jazz, chillout, nu-jazz and downtempo. Excellent album!

Arms and Sleepers are an American duo, comprised of Max Lewis and Mirza Ramic, formed in 2006. They have produced a handful of albums and EPs. Matador is their second full-length album, released a few days ago in Japan, today in the US and in a few days in the EU. A beautiful album, excellent combination of electronica, trip-hop, ambient and indie. Highly recommended!

Miaou are a Japanese post-rock band, formed in 1999 by Tatsuki Hamasaki and sisters Mayumi and Hiromi Hasegawa. Their music is a tuneful, dreamy version of instrumental rock. This is their second full length album, released in 2005. Really good!

Lights Out Asia is an excellent American downtempo/post-rock band. I have already posted their debut album, "Garmonia". This one is their third full-length album, released in 2008, while they are currently preparing their fourth album, expected in 2010. Really beautiful blend of electro, shoegaze and post-rock. Highly recommended!

Tracks:
1. A Day Towards Other Days
2. Radars Over the Ghosts of Chernobyl
3. X-33
4. Psiu! Puxa!
5. The Wrong Message Could End You
6. MIR
7. If I Die, I Wish You a Horrible Death
8. Six Points of Fire

Les Invasions barbares (The barbarian invasions) is a 2003 Canadian film directed by Denys Arcand. It is the sequel to Arcand's earlier film The Decline of the American Empire (1986) and is followed by Days of Darkness (2007). I haven't watched the other parts of the trilogy but this is a fantastic film. The plot revolves around Rémy's battle with terminal cancer and the efforts of Sébastien, his estranged son, to make his dying father more comfortable in his last days.

The film deals with the disillusionment with socialism, the disillusionment with capitalism as well as the death of a man who happened to have been a socialist professor in Montreal, while his son a millionaire. A political film, but also a film about friendship, love, life and death. The screenplay, acting and directing are all top-notch. It is at times funny, sad, tragic and thought-provoking. The dialogues are absolutely brilliant!

World’s End Girlfriend (ワールズ・エンド・ガールフレンド) is Katsuhiko Maeda, a musical genius from Nagasaki but based in Tokyo, Japan. His music cannot be placed in one genre since it is a fusion of electronica, post-rock, ambient and experimental. Really unique style! This is his latest album, a soundtrack he wrote for the 2009 Japanese film "Air Doll" (空気人形), directed by Hirokazu Koreeda. I haven't seen the film, but the music is simply stunning! A must!

The Last Farm (Síðasti bærinn) is a 2005 Icelandic short film. It was directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson, and stars Icelandic actor Jón Sigurbjörnsson. Kjartan Sveinsson, the keyboardist for Sigur Rós, composed the music. Excellent!

People for Audio are an instrumental band from Montreal, Canada. They play piano-based post-rock with a fusion of jazz, indie and electronica. Not easy to categorise at all! This is their debut album, released in 2005. Really good!

Artist: People for Audio
Artist: And this will be our homecoming
Year: 2005
Genre: post-rock, instrumental, indie

Tracks:
1. To new beginnings
2. Sidewalks and skylines
3. Red skied morning
4. If not now
5. Conversation in a minor tone
6. And this will be our homecoming

Twenty years since the Berlin Wall came down, there are many places in the world where walls and barriers are still standing (excellent report by the BBC).

Today's post is a short film/documentary about the shameful wall built by the Israeli government at the West Bank, which created a huge prison in Gaza. Walled Horizons is narrated by and features Roger Waters, who visits the Wall in the Palestinian territories and comments on his observations as a musician and a songwriter who has written on walls. The film explores how Palestinians in urban and rural areas have been impacted by the Walls construction since the International Court of Justices Advisory Opinion in 2004, which declared the Wall's route in the West Bank illegal. Several senior Israeli security officials are interviewed in the film, two of whom were directly responsible for planning the Wall route and who explain the Israeli position for constructing it. The film was made by the United Nations Jerusalem.

Zerova are Polish experimental music band, formed in 2004 in Bialystok. Their music combines soft electronic sounds with a variety of traditional instruments, clearly influenced by the icelandic scene. Calm, cold, sad but beautiful! Recommended!

The Zephyrs are Scottish brothers Stuart and David Nicol along with Gordon Kilgour. They make shoegaze and psychadelic infuenced melancholic rock music with obvious influences by bands like Slowdive and Low and some post-rock influences as well. They have released four full-length albums so far. This is their second album released in 2001. Excellent!

Artist: The Zephyrs
Album: When the Sky Comes Down It Comes Down on Your Head
Year: 2001
Genre: shoegaze, post-rock, indie

Metavari are an American instrumental rock-trio from Indiana, formed in the winter of 2006. The contrast of digital elements, like laptop programming and synth processing, along side organic rock arrangements and vintage equipment create beautiful multi-layered compositions. Visualizations and archived footage are edited along side each arrangement and videos are projected live. In 2008, they self-released their first EP ("Ambling"). This is their debut full-length album, released earlier this year by Crossroads of America Records. Excellent compination of post-rock, ambient and electronica. Recommended!

Artist: Metavari
Album: Be One of Us and Hear No Noise
Year: 2009
Genre: post-rock, instrumental, ambient, electronica

Tracks:
1. Kings Die Like Other Men
2. Shimmer Marina
3. Twilight Over Akaishi
4. The Priest, The Shore, And The Wait
5. Be One Of Us And Hear No Noise
6. Io, Apollo, And The Veil
7. Cerulean
8. Maedchen
9. Story For A Song Without End
10. Pacific Lights

Emir Kusturica is a brilliant director and Underground is probably the best movie to represent his cinematography. It is based on a play by Dušan Kovačević. The film follows three characters through Yugoslavia's history, from World War II to the Cold War and finally the Yugoslav wars. It uses the epic story of two friends to symbolically depict and satirise the history of Yugoslavia since the Second World War.

In my opinion, the film is flawless! A mixture of black comedy with tragedy, Underground can really touch you deeply. It displays clearly the tragedy of war and the vanity of human nature. Don't get discouraged if you are not familiar with Balkan history. People are all alike; you'll recognise the patterns easily.

Finally, the music is great. Goran Bregović wrote on of his best soundtracks! Some songs, such as "Mesecina" and "Kalasnjikov", are already classic!

A moving requiem for a dying country. A cult film that will probably mark the history of cinema forever…

Catherine A.D. is the work of British multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Catherine Anne Davies. Catherine A.D. has scarlet hair (dyed) and a black throat (real). Her output to date consists of the three DIY EPs she’s been drip-dropping out into the world whilst finishing university. Apparently, this one was recorded in her bedroom ..."whilst I was supposed to be finishing my English Literature degree". A great, dark album that everyone must listen! I've seen her live at Latitude festival a few months ago; great performance!

Soap & Skin is the piano-driven musical project of 19-year-old Austrian artist Anja Plaschg. After releasing a string of songs on compilations and a series of live appearances throughout 2008, Plaschg released an untitled EP the same year, consisting of four tracks and including a cover of Nico’s “Janitor of Lunacy.” This is her first full-length album, released on Coach Records. Absolutely brilliant debut!

The Weak Men is an American post-rock band from Provo, Utah. This is their debut released in 2006, also known as Deer album. Clearly influenced by GY!BE and A Silver Mt. Zion! Really beautiful post-rock music.

Disclaimer

slow-riot does not store any files on this server. The postings are for promotional and preview purposes only. If you like the albums you downloaded from here, please support the artists by buying the original cd. If you are an artist/label and would like me to take down a link, please contact me at aroomtobreathin@gmail.comand I will remove it as fast as I can.